Tuesday Evening Hike: East of Shindagin

Event/Trailhead location: FLT trail-head at Old 76 Road, Caroline (click for map).
Please park safely as far off the pavement as you can without putting your vehicle in danger. Do not stand on the road, as fast moving traffic often passes this trail-head.

This week's hike takes us east of Shindagin Hollow State Forest to a reopened section of the Finger Lakes Trail in the Town of Caroline. This section was closed and abandoned for six years. It was reopened and cleared by volunteers on National Trails Day in June 2017.

We start at the trail-head on Old 76 Road and head east on the abandoned section of McGrath Road, which is favored by ATV vehicles. We traverse wet boggy areas and a small creek, then head into mixed hardwoods and drier uphill sections of Potato Hill State Forest. At about one hour, we will turn around and retrace our steps.

This section of the FLT is open due to the generosity of private landowners who graciously agreed to allow hikers to cross their land. We also owe a thank you to Steve Nicholson, trail adopter for this section, and Andy Sciarabba, past Landowner Relations Chair, both of whom refused to give up on this project and negotitated with the landowners over a series of years to reopen it. Trails Chair David Priester supervised a turnout of 25 volunteers who enthusiastically attacked the brush and dead-fall, and refreshed blazes, on National Trails Day.

Wet, boggy conditions in the middle of this section call for: gators, waterproof hiking boots, and an extra pair of socks. Bring water and insecticide. Recommended gear is headlamp or flashlight, or both, as we exit the woods at sunset.

If you are driving directly to the trailhead using GPS, set your destination for: 918 Old 76 Road, Caroline.

This hike will qualify for the Hike 100 Challenge with the North Country Trail Association. Mileage will be calculated at the hike.